Fire and frenzy
by um
Summary: My first fic, on the tv series. David had an agruement with his father little do either of them know the hell he will go through before they meet again. Please review if only to tell me some one out there has read it.
1. Default Chapter

Dinotopia, fire and frenzy

He was riding on the back of Freefall, soaring through the darkening skies, desperately trying to lose himself in the soothing up and down motion of his friend's wing beats. He knew he shouldn't be flying after dark, the carnivores where especially active at this time and you could never quite tell exactly where you were, the night blurred shapes together and if you weren't concentrating like David you could easily drift into life threatening danger. So lost in his thoughts he didn't know it himself but he would soon be facing one of the biggest threats of his carrier.

What he was concentrating on was an argument he had has with his father only minutes earlier. He had rushed out unable to face him and knew he only had to get away.

**30 minutes earlier;**

' Dad please help me,'

Frank Scott looked at his son David whose emotions flitted quickly across his face, from desperation to anger and then back to desperation he was obviously scared and tired. They were talking about his son's problems at work, but somehow Frank's mind flicked back to Karl and his other son's troubles. He forced his mind back to David, Frank prided himself on the fact he had always been good at judging people and how they were feeling, but David was like a closed book, however he could tell David was tired his shoulders drooped and the stylish uniform all skyback riders wore seemed lose on David increasingly worn and thin frame.

Frank thought he knew why David was so troubled the numbers of skyback riders lost per month was increasing and although none had been lost from his son's regiment the council had been harsh on all of them saying the skyback's good reputation was being soiled. No one knew why or how the riders went but every now and again a skyback would come back with an empty saddle and normally nothing was heard from the rider again, once or twice they had staggered with torn clothes dripping blood from numerous wounds to a outpost, but they had refused to speak and committed suicide or ran away again soon afterwards.

Speaking of running away his thoughts reverted to Karl, he and David had had a spat a few days a go and Karl had stormed out of the apartment with 26 mewing under his arm. He had not heard from him since although he knew that Karl was safe and probably hiding for a few days at Zippo's he couldn't help concentrating on Karl than David. He sighed Karl had always been his favourite he had tried to show as much affection to David but somehow he couldn't, Karl just seemed so much more like him, he could relate to him so much more easily, they were both interested in sport, fishing and more 'outdoorsy' type things. David had been quiet, well behaved and so clever Frank almost felt jealous, he couldn't help it. Little did he know how good the friendship was between David and the latest disappearer, or what his son had been doing for the last few hours, if he had he knew he would have acted differently.

So lost in his thoughts only after the four or fifth attempt of David's did he hear his son's calls to him.

David had just been to identify his subordinate and close friend's body after he had drowned himself. He felt so lost and the only person he could talk to was his father, everyone else had brushed him off, Karl told him to stop worrying about John Greenleaf, the friend who was now lying on a table somewhere stone dead his skin a faint blue after his self inflicted death, and their conversation had blown into an argument when he had continued to mention him. Zippo had trying to help by telling David he had done everything he could to help find his lost friend and that the twice daily survey flights over the area John was meant to have gone missing were enough. But to David they weren't cause they weren't successful he berated himself if only he had gone a little further he may have found him before they did in the river. And anyways Zippo had been to interested in a new book he had found for the library. Foolishly he had thought he could find not only sympathy from Marion but also a person who could help him find John. But oh no Marion had been too concerned with Karl's disappearance that morning after their fight last night.

And that, it would seem was occupying his father's thoughts right now. He couldn't believe it he had come to his Dad for someone who he could relate his grief to, and he knew he wasn't as close to him as Karl was but still this was ridiculous.

'Dad' he finally shouted ' hello earth to distant father are you receiving or should I just give up now!' The anger in his son's voice brought Frank back,

'Sorry' he said, ' I was just….'

'Thinking about Karl and his problems, I am right aren't I' butted in David.

Anger rose in his chest about David's insolence he had always been such a good boy he sorted of faded into the distance, whereas Karl well he was always totally different, lively…

'Oh for God's sake…' David seeing his father's eyes cloud over knew it could only mean one thing he was thinking about his perfect Karl. He turned to go.' If you are not interested in me at all.'

'That is not true,' replied Frank, feeling guilty knowing it was false.

'Oh really, ok then what did I just have to do today, well I told you before I went,'

'You told me nothing…'

'That's not true, let me give you a memory aid it was just before Zippo hinted he knew where Karl was.' Seeing realization dawn on his father's face he said, ' ah yes as I thought you would remember that bit wouldn't you.'

'That is unjustified' Said Frank, ' it just slipped my mind'

'Funny how anything concerning Karl doesn't though, you know everything about him, every soccer match he won every medal he scored…'

Frank blushed, but David wasn't stopping a long list of the activities he had done with Karl came out, ' yet you didn't come to anything of mine did you, always too busy or even doing something with Karl, not one prize day not one school play I was the only kid who's father only came to one parents evening and on all the other ones who had to take notes for the absent father who had gone to a soccer match with his other son.' David was breathing heavily now his face red from shouting, suddenly he calmed and said slowly, ' I bet you don't even know my birthday, well when is it..'

Frank's mind had gone blank Karl's birthday came but no matter how hard he tried David's didn't. ' I don't know' he mumbled softly.

'No you don't, do you,' any last hope David had had for his father remembering had slipped from his heart like a knife, when he saw the expression on his father's face. 'It is today, and do you know what I got from everybody, well there was nothing from Karl obviously, no he was far to busy pouting about our little argument when I told him he needed to buckle down and get a real job and not just skive off anybody. Then there was Marion who was too concerned with Karl to even notice. Zippo was the only one out of all of you who actually said Happy Birthday, the only one, he didn't get me anything but at least he remembered. And you oh apparently caring father what did you get me, is it better than last year…' David couldn't help it he had to mock his father, ' is it I mean those socks are pretty hard to beat or what about the bat and ball you gave me and then the next day you went to play it with Karl. So what is it…well…I am waiting.'

Frank said nothing.

'Nothing is it… oh I forgot I didn't even tell you the best part about today, I saw my best friends body, do you remember the one who I was screeching for, or didn't you even know what happened, well I had to sand there and try and identify his bloated corpse. It was really fun even better than the time when you and mum had that massive argument in front if me, yes you checked Karl couldn't hear but what about the other one, nah he doesn't matter does he.'

Sarcasm dripped off David's voice, he had to use it to cover the pain inside at the knowledge that the person who he admired the most in the world didn't even care that he was alive. On the verge of tears he fled from the room leaving a stunned Frank astonished in his wake.

Present 

While running his mind over the last few days, David never noticed, he never had a chance. And it knew that, that is what it did it preyed on the skies searching for those to busy or weak to fight back. It was the cleanser of the heavens and it swooped silently from above down upon the unsuspecting human. It could fell its claws ripped into his back, the yell of pain, the swarck of the thing it was riding on. And with a huge sense of triumph it saw the body curled in pain tumble head over heal into the dark forest. It had sensed the human's pain and now it knew his troubles were going to get a lot worse.


	2. Fire and Frenzy Part 2

**Fire and Frenzy Part 2**

I am very sorry not to have up dated recently but I had my mocks

And I had to revise, and then there was coursework blah blah blah.

Thank you so much for those who reviewed it really meant a lot, a please do it again, and for those who haven't please do.

Oh, yeah I own nothing, ok.

Now where were we..

A lone body tore through the air, slow turning, somersaulting in a sickening lifeless fashion just before with a terrific crash it broke the canopy of trees below it and disappeared into under the blanket of trees. It broke almost every branch with its fall and then lay there silent unmoving its limbs stretched out in disturbing unnatural ways. The almost indistinguishable rise and fall of its chest the only hint that it was still alive.

The moonlight dappled the forest floor that was covered in dead leaves, and flickered silently off the body's armour. David was alone over 50 miles from any sort of civilisation and unknowingly lying in on of the most dangerous areas of Dinotopia, the one area left which hadn't been explored, for good reason…

Frank Scott, still fuming over the argument from last night, stomped his way down to breakfast. He was running it over in his mind and however he looked at it he knew he needed to apologies to his son. And when he knew he had to do something like that, it always made him cross. He hated apologies, the, 'I'm sorries', the, 'please forgive mes' whenever he did it, it always felt like a sign of weakness. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to get this lump off his chest if he didn't. From the table he called his younger son, expecting him to have just rushed off to his room. When no one responded he sighed and guessed David was still sore from the fight. He had no idea of the reality.

After another half hour he gave up on David guessing he had already left, and went out looking for Karl instead, at the back of his mind a small voice whispered to him that this was just another example of his favouritism. However he shook it off and continued, 'Well' he reasoned to himself, 'I might as well go to the one son whose whereabouts I know.'

As he walked along people when they caught sight of him whispered behind their hands and gave him small sympathetic smiles. Frank had always been an oddity the man who was not only an outsider but he also had spent a couple of month in the land below, or whatever they called it. He had gotten used to the odd looks but it had been a few years now and they had worn off. The sudden reappearance of them did nothing to improve his mood, and when one elderly gentleman walked up to him and looked as if he was going to say something, he angrily pushed him aside. He just managed to hear a couple that were standing by shaking their heads and mumbling something about the shock. He had no idea what they were talking about but stuck his chin further into his jacket and increased his step. The wind was picking up and little splatters of rain began to darken the pavement before him.

Zippo was surrounded by people when Frank entered. A half opened scroll dangling from one paw. Karl was pale and shaking and was standing with his back to everyone gazing intently at the rain that now battered the glass. Zippo's chest was rising and falling very rapidly and he sat down on a nearby stool with a clatter. From Frank's days in the army he would hazard a guess that Zippo had gone into shock, he just didn't understand why.

'What's going on here?' he demanded as he removed his now soaked outer jacket. ' What's up has someone died?' he joked. As soon as he said this however he knew something terrible had happened, Karl flinched at his words and Zippo let out a small sob. Barely audible but it filled the graveyard of silence and spread to the corners of the room, echoing. The people turned around and then Frank recognised them they were wearing the inner uniform of the skybacks riders, and then it all clicked into place. The unresponsiveness of David earlier in the morning, the lack of Free Fall roosting in the out house, the sympathetic glances it all fitted. Yet he still couldn't believe it, no, not to Davie, no, he was to good; he would never allow such a thing to happen. No he was jumping to conclusions; no, it was something totally different. He looked up at their expressions and his resolve faltered but stayed there, 'these guys always look serious, that is why David was so good at being one of them.' Time seemed to slow down for him as he concentrated on the parchment Zippo had just let drop to the floor. And then his hope failed, a few weeks ago he had seen a distraught couple in their forties clutching one of them as David slowly explained to them that their son was missing. It was one of the few times he had gone to visit him, and he had been so shocked at how grown up David had seemed. It was a letter like the telegrams sent to wife and mothers in the first and second world wars informing family relatives of their husbands, sons, fathers deaths. To him it had always seemed so cruel so emotionless. And now it was happening to him.

The officers noticed the direction of his glance and the elder coughed slightly. A few seconds seemed to elapse before Frank Scott noticed the noise and responded to it. He was in a daze as the officer explained to him that in the early hours, the sky back with the name of Free Fall had just made it back to the base at Canyon City, the jagged tears down its back and wings where characteristic of the recent attacks. A notice had gone out to all sky back teams to search for a missing rider, but he was sorry to say that the chances of finding him where unfortunately quite remote. They said their apologies again and took their leave. A stunned silence was in their wake; no one could fully comprehend what had just happened.

The rain fell on the motionless figure lying in the forest, it washed away the dried blood, scared the insects into hiding, cleansed the broken head and limbs of the dirt and sweat that had collected there, and cooled the fever from the wounds. Then with a moan the fingers of the body twitched and slowly the head moved inch by inch over and the bloodied lips twitched letting life saving water slide drop by drop into the parched body beneath.


End file.
